A report from 2009, from KnowledgeWorks called 2020 Forecast: Creating the Future of Learning caught my attention. It identifies six major drivers of change that might unleash a wild world of learning quite unlike any system of schooling we’ve ever experienced. What I’m finding is that it’s increasingly a story-driven game that places students at the center of their learning experience, much like an MMORPG. In any case, the singularity is one narrative I imagine will drastically alter what it means to be a student interfacing with a world undergoing ecological and economic shifts.

In the section called Altered Bodies we’re reminded that neuroscientists have begun to design neuro-enhancements that might soon provide “customized learning experiences” that push the boundaries of ethics and cognitive rights. Learners are forecast to have “more and more options for modifying their minds and bodies in support of peak performance even as they navigate increasing levels of bio-distress.” I’m reminded of what H.G. Wells would say is urgently needed to prevent our own extinction, “the evolution of a new more powerful type of man.”

In 2007, Gerald Celente, who is a leading expert about trends, suggested that blogs and other social media will be transcended and will lead to the formation of Techno Tribalism. He described it on his web site as follows:

“The tribes of the world are uniting. Tied together by the arteries of the information superhighway, citizens of common dreams and common causes are forming human bonds that transcend national borders, religious beliefs and political ideologies. Still in its youth and growing with unbound vitality, the exploding Internet is unleashing powers to the people that will change the way the world is run … and who will run it.

“Bigger than blogs and more influential than the social networks, TechnoTribes will rally masses with calls for action when rights are violated, lives threatened and/or change is needed. Distrusting of politicians and critical of their leadership skills, the egalitarian tribes will unite those who share civic interests, follow moral codes and believe in universal truths.”

“Positive, negative, good or bad, more people are going to unite their voices over the Internet in forming these techno tribes in ways we’ve never seen before.”

Paul Sloane suggests we “destroy the hierarchy altogether” because people at the lower levels fear their great ideas will disrespect or challenge others up the command chain. As opposed to hierarchy, he advocates fluid, adaptable networks in which people coalesce into teams to play their roles and accomplish certain tasks.

According to Timothy Leary, “there’s a universe inside your brain”. In his book “Chaos & Cyber Culture” he explores a “postpolitical information society” where “electrified thoughts invite fast feedback”.

This “cybernetic society” is led by the “front-line creativity” based on “individual thinking” and “scientific know-how”.

From different countries, “new breeds” use cybertechnology and “feedback networks” to gain “more managerial and direct creative access to their brain.”

This breed emerges as an “open-minded caste” that is “simply much smarter” than the “old guard” of “closed-minded white, male politicians” who once made decisions about their lives.

In this “info-world” Leary sees a cybernetic society, or rather “a large pool” of individuals who communicate “at light speed” across boundaries.

This new breed is capable of “jumping the gene pools” to form “postindustrial, global meme-pools.” He calls them “informates” whose “defining memes” flash “at light speed across borders in digital-electronic form”.

From our analysis of current and potential developments we postulate three scenarios for the future of the web:

The web without meaning (including corporate portals) – driven by short-term economic imperatives and self interest, this scenario is an extrapolation from the present situation;

Improved collaborative frameworks – in this scenario, widely accepted taxonomies of hundreds, if not thousands, of different knowledge domains are the building blocks of the future semantic web;

A third scenario is an updated version of a vision first proposed during the 1930s by H.G. Wells of what he called the “World Brain”.

Key elements of the second and third scenarios are the “intellegent’ web, which incorporates topic maps, knowledge maps and ontologies that act on the basis of the precise meaning of specified terms and the relationships between them. An alternative view is that, instead of new ‘intelligence’ being artificially situated in the network using combinations of algorithms and machine learning, it will come from enhancing the intelligence, disciplines and skills of the users using taxonomy working.

Jason Liszkiewicz from re-configure.org tells us that “we are the most advanced technology” and that societies are “supercomputers”. He suggests the public needs a “system of world simulation” in which participants can earn “social currency credits” from their mobile devices by engaging in large-scale problem solving and global brainstorming. A form of virtual reality could begin to influence reality, as individuals “collaborate, create, and reinvent” their communities.